New World Same Humans #60 – Audio Version

Welcome to New World Same Humans, a weekly newsletter on trends, technology, and society by David Mattin.

If you’re reading this and you haven’t yet subscribed, then join 16,000+ curious souls on a mission to build a better shared future 🚀🔮

---

This week, I go deep on an intriguing experiment that never was. And what it tells us about the relationship between technology, climate change, and politics in the 2020s.

Hit play!

If you’d prefer to read this week’s instalment go here for the text version of New World Same Humans #60.

---

Links in this week’s instalment

1. A few days ago a solar bioengineering experiment due to take place at Kiruna, northern Sweden, was cancelled.

2. The phrase technological solutionism was coined by the technology thinker Evgeny Morozov.

3. Lonely old people? Give them a robot.

4. Pandemic has caused a mental health crisis? Here’s an AI-fuelled counsellor.

5.

Max Roser @MaxCRoser

I’m sure that people who believe that more economic growth is not needed to reduce poverty are well-meaning people who want the best for humanity and the environment. But I think this idea is wrong and I hope that a look at the numbers can be helpful.

Our World in Data @OurWorldInData

"If you are opposed to global economic growth for one reason or another, then I hope this post is helpful in considering the implications of this opposition.” @MaxCRoser’s post asks how much growth is needed to substantially reduce global poverty. https://t.co/BAgIsMWPYX

6. LSE academic Jason Hickel other degrowthers argue that, on our current path, it’s near impossible to transition away from fossil fuels fast enough to avoid catastrophic warming.

---

Growth Mindset

Thanks for listening this week.

If this week’s instalment struck a chord, please consider forwarding the email to someone who’d also enjoy it. Or share this across one of your social networks, with a note on why you found it valuable. Remember, the larger and more diverse the New World Same Humans community becomes, the better for all of us!

I’ll be back on Wednesday with New Week Same Humans. Until then, be well,

David.

---

David Mattin is the founder of the Strategy and Futures Research Unit. He sits on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Consumption.